Western Hemisphere

The Pentagon this afternoon released its "Western Hemisphere Defense Policy Statement," which "explains how the January 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance will shape DOD engagement in the Western Hemisphere," according to a press release.

The document finds that "the capacity of national civil authorities, including law enforcement, throughout the hemisphere is uneven." Further:

In some countries civilian authorities have been overwhelmed by the magnitude of response required by the security challenges they face. This gap in civilian capacity has led some national leaders to expand their reliance on the armed forces to supplement law enforcement and provide humanitarian support. Some militaries lack sufficient legal foundations, doctrine, training, equipment and procedures to promote cooperation across their governments and many are ill-prepared to fulfill these temporary roles.

InsideDefense.com reported in March that U.S. Southern Command and its partners lack the maritime assets needed to stop two-thirds of the traffickers they track. The command's top general said on March 7 that to achieve its mission of helping to halt transnational organized crime, he could use more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, as well as more maritime capability that can be used to intercept illicit traffickers traveling through Caribbean and eastern Pacific waters.

SOUTHCOM's commander Gen. Douglas Fraser said ISR requirements top his integrated priority list. "I'm a combatant commander, I could always use more ISR," he said. Further:

"We intercept about 33 percent of what we know is out there, and that's just a limitation on the number of assets," Fraser said during a breakfast with reporters today. He noted more traffickers are getting through.

SOUTHCOM gets information on when a vessel leaves a particular port and what specific vessels to look for, he said. The command has maritime patrol aircraft that can find and follow these ships, but it's a struggle to have vessels available and positioned correctly to intercept the boats. SOUTHCOM and its partners also struggle with catching up with aircraft when they land because there are a number of different airfields in each country, and the traffickers are able to quickly unload their wares in about 15 minutes. "You have to be very, very capable and have assets in the right place, right time to counter that," he said.

Specifically, SOUTHCOM needs ISR with a fully penetrating capability to spot forces hidden in dense jungle canopies, such as in Colombia and Peru, he noted. "This is really an R&D effort right now, it's an effort that we really haven't gotten to a what I would say a capable foliage penetrating capability yet fielded," he said, noting that vessels that can be fully submerged under water are being built in the jungles of South America.

This afternoon's policy statement concludes:

DOD seeks to be the partner of choice and a key enabler of strong regional defense cooperation in the Western Hemisphere. The January 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance requires a dynamic evolution of our defense policy in the Western Hemisphere to achieve the security goals we share with regional partners. A remarkable transformation of partner readiness and willingness to address the challenges of the 21st century, both throughout and beyond the hemisphere, augurs well for renewed U.S. commitment to innovative partnerships and shared responsibility. The Department will focus on strengthening national defense capacity, fostering regional integration and interoperability, and the constructive evolution of multilateral defense cooperation.

Read the full document.